Blumenthal: "We Need Real Leadership that is Focused on Making our Nation's Skies Safe"

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) today issued the below statement following President Trump’s press conference on the deadly aircraft crash near National Airport:

“My heart breaks for all killed on American Airlines Flight 5342 and PAT25 and all their families and loved ones. As families grieve and we await further updates, we need real leadership that is focused on making our nation’s skies safe. One of President Trump’s first acts overseeing our military and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was to undermine our flight safety system. He purged the FAA of dozens of senior officials and pushed out its top administrator—all to benefit billionaire Elon Musk. And then today President Trump blamed the FAA’s hiring of women, Black people, and disabled veterans for the crash—a patently unsupportable claim. Disgusting. The federal agencies that serve and protect the flying public—including the FAA, National Transportation Safety Board, and Department of Transportation—must have the tools, resources, and stable leadership they need to prevent future tragedies from occurring again.”

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